The Basic Chip II

As you can see from the photos the basic chip is the beginning of complex designs. The compass rose that I use for small chests and boxes is made up of concentric circles of chip design. The quarterboard head has a chip carved star surrounded by a whirling circle of curved chips.

The pattern boards with notes are reminders of sequences for repeat cuts. When you cut dozens at a time you know where to cut, but a year later you need a reminder of how the sequences play out; many of the designs are optically confusing when looked at on paper.

Use of patterns and samples are something I’ll return to in later posts, and it has to do with the second part of my carving career when I worked with traditional boatbuilders and worked in their shops.